Tell me everything about camping with a baby.

[butterybollocks]

We've been camping with now 6yo dd for the past 3 years and have just booked our first trip with 6 month old ds.

So - what are your tips, what do I need to take etc?

How do I sterilise bottles?! I'm thinking I'll just take cartons of ready made formula?

I'm not sure what he should sleep in/on - he's in a sleepyhead so will take that but do I need to take the travel cot as well? He likes a dark room - any tips on making the tent dark in the light evenings? What do camping babies wear at night?

DS was 10 months when we took him camping. He was already crawling and so I'd already eased up a bit on sterilising. If you haven't maybe take a cold water steriliser and tablets/solution and do it that way.

Mine got popped in a waterproof all in one on top of his clothes during the day and loved crawling on the grass, having cuddles off everyone and watching the trees in the breeze etc.

I took warmer PJs as a tent gets cold at night, we had a sort of fleecy onesie he wore. We co-slept so it was just the same as at home. I'd try and let him sleep in whatever he usually does I think.

I took the travel cot and DS had his own compartment and DD and I shared the other one. He wore thick sleepsuit with a baby sleeping bag and was fine.

Other than that, you're all set although whilst DD slept fab in a tent as a baby, DS did not and by the last night - well, the whole campsite knew about it

We're taking 5mo DS for his first trip next weekend. 3yo DD had her first trip at 9 weeks and has been a few times since. We use fleecy sleepsuits instead of a babygrow and long sleeve vests. He's only small so still fits in the pram top and will sleep in that, once he outgrows it he'll be in the travel cot. We use a cold water steriliser and Milton tablets. I make up bottles using 2oz boiling water and then top up with cooled boiled water.
We use a flexi-tub with water in it to bath the kids in the tent unless the site has a bath. Make sure you have lots of layers and dry clothes, nothing worse than being cold or wet.

I'd get a blackout breathable SnoozeShade

No experience of camping but the CosiGo popup pram cover fits over the Sleepyhead, may work for you.

i've been camping various times with various aged babies and toddler - we took one baby camping when she was only 3 weeks old!

we slept her in her bassinet, when older I put the babies in a normal travel cot. i didnt have any problems with early waking.

i put them in a thick padded babygro in a normal baby sleeping bag. everyone slept soundly. I put the 3 week old in a pram suit and no sleeping bag. she was fine.

i took my stokke folding baby bath, the toddler loved outdoor bubble baths! i didn't bother bathing the tiny one. Your 6 month old would love a bath i think, just cold water topped up with hot kettle water.

i took my ikea highchair, its good to have somewhere to strap a baby down and much easier for feeding (solids). Little baby we took her bouncer chair.

take a picnic blanket and some toys. it will be great!!

Thanks, this is all very helpful. I'm swinging between looking forward to it and dreading it, generally depending on whether we've had a decent night's sleep or not!